Coat



J. SIEGEL April 27, 1937.

COAT

Filed March 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNVENTOR Josey/2 Sgge! ATTO R N EYS April 27, 1937. J SIEGEL 2,078,461

COAT Filed March 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR flsgafi Sz'eye/ BY Qua MM/ 1M M ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

My present invention, while primarily concerned with overcoats or topcoats, has a wide and varied field of usefulness in connection with f coats and jackets of all types and relates particularly to the provision of improved means for permitting the wearer of a coat or jacket to gain ready access to the pockets of the garments worn under the coat without unbuttoning or otherwise opening the latter. The invention provides a concealed opening in the coat which is normally closed by a metallic slide fastener.

Features of the invention are the provision of such a metallic-seam closed opening so arranged that the fastener is concealed from view both from the outside and inside of the coat; in which the interengaging fastener teeth are fully protected by fabric so that no metal will contact the hands of the wearer of the coat where the fastener is arranged within the coat pocket, and the disposition of the slide fastener in such a relationship to the coat that the coat will have no tendency to sag when the metallic seam is opened.

This construction is, of course, peculiarly well suited for embodiments in outer garments of the type adapted to be worn outdoors in cold or inclement weather, such for instance as overcoats,

topcoats, raincoats, Windbreakers etc.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a slit or opening with its associated fastener is diagonally disposed within a pocket of the coat preferably terminating above the bottom of the pocket so that gloves, cigarettes, matches, change or other small objects will not fall out of the pocket when the slide fastener is opened. Preferably the teeth of the seam or zipper are covered by fabric flaps on the pocket'side of the coat so that the hands of the wearer will not come into contact with the cold metal of the seam. A special flap is arranged in the inside of the coat so that the metallic seam will not show when the inside of the coat is exposed. This flap serves the additional purpose of preventing the sack coat or other undergarment of the wearer from becoming pinched in or torn by the interengaging teeth as the slide member is moved to close the slit. One advantage of the diagonal arrangement of the opening is the fact that .the cloth of thecoat will not tend to sag when the seam is opened as would be the case were the seam horizontally disposed. Also the angle of the slit (running rearwardly and downwardly) facilitates the insertion of the hand through the slit without un- 5 5 natural bending of the wrist or arm.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, instead of placing the zipper closed slit within the pocket, a seemingly conventional patch pocket cooperates with the body of the coat to provide a recess just back of the pocket, and within this recess is a vertical slit in the coat Which is closed by a metallic slide fastener. Here again the teeth of the fastener are externally protected by small fabric flaps and are internally concealed by a special tape sewed to the inside of the coat.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exterior fragmentary view of part of an overcoat with parts of the pocket and pocket flap broken away to disclose the slit and metallic fastener which closes it.

Fig. 2 is an interior view of the coat with part of the interior protective flap for the zipper broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged and broken sectional view on the staggered line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view generally similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the form of invention in which the Zipper is concealed under a flap at the rear edge of the pocket instead of being arranged Within the pocket.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 2 and showing the inside of the coat illustrated in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged broken transverse sectional view onthe line 66 of Fig. 4.

Referring with particularity to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, Ill indicates the body of an overcoat at the exterior of which a pocket is formed by sewing a patch I l to the coat in conventional manner and preferably by sewing a pocket flap l2 to the coat so that it overlaps the open top of the pocket.

Within the pocket the body of the coat is provided with a diagonal slit extending from a point adjacent the upper forward corner of the pocket to a point well above the lower opposite rear corner. Sewed to the material upon opposite sides of the slit as by lines of stitching I3 and M are fabric strips l5 carrying rows of metal teeth l6 adapted to be cammed into interengaging relationship by a slide element l1."The fabric strips M which carry the teeth are preferably provided with flap portions [8 which overlie the teeth at the inside of the pocket and the slide member I1 is provided with an actuating chain I8 or an equivalent handle member disposed at the inside of the pocket. Thus when the metallic seam or zipper is closed the teeth l6 on the pocket side of the coat will be fully covered by the flaps l8 and upon reaching the hand into the pocket it will contact no metal with the exception of the slide member l! or its handle l9.

In order to conceal the slide fastener at the interior of the coat and also to prevent this fastener from pinching or tearing the sack coat, vest, or other garment beneath the coat 1 provide a protective flap 23. This flap overlies the otherwise exposed teeth of the metallic seam at the inside of the coat. It is somewhat longer than the seam and lines of stitching 2|, 222

secure one edge of the flap and also the ends of the slit in the pocket when it is desirable to gainaccess to a sack coat pocket without unbuttoning the overcoat.

There are several advantages gained by making the slit in the pocket diagonal. In the first place, this is a natural angle for the hand and wrist to assume when the elbow is bent in reaching for a sack coat pocket. The diagonal slit also prevents any appreciable sag in the fabric of the coat when the slit is opened, this in direct contradistinction to the sagging which would occur were the slit disposed horizontally. The natural. tendency of the slit to remain substantially closed even when the slide fastener is fully opened tends to preventinadvertent loss of articles from the overcoat pocket.

The important point about terminating this slit above the bottom of the pocket is the fact that cigarettes, matches and other small articles will not escape from the pocket even when the slit is fully opened.

I have described the application of this invention to an. overcoat but it will be readily apparent that it may be applied with equal facility to various types of coats or jackets particularly raincoats, Windbreakers etc., which are customarily worn in. inclement weather, and where it may be desirable to gain access to the underclothi-ng without removing the hands from the pocket or unbuttomng the jacket or raincoat. The same thing applies to the general utility of the. alternative form of invention shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive and which I shall now describe.

In this embodiment the slit which is closed by the slide fastener is not actually arranged within the pocket of the coat but is concealed by the pocket.

Here Ilia represents the body of the coat, I I a a pocket forming patch secured upon the exterior of the coat, and In a flap to cover the open upper end of the pocket. One side of the patch is sewed to the coat by a double line of stitching 2|. The bottom of the patch is likewise sewed to the coat by a double line of stitching 22 but the opposite or rear side of the patch is sewed to the coat at the top and bottom only by short lines of stitching 23. Lines of horizontal stitching 24 at the ends of the short lines of stitching 23 are connected by, a vertical line of stitching 25 set inwardly at an appreciable distance and securing the patch to the overcoat.

That portion of the patch between the lines of stitching 24and 25 defines a flap 3| cooperating with the body of the coat to afford a concealed vertical recess open at its rear edge. A vertical slit 26 extends lengthwise of this recess and may be closed by a metallic seam or zipper construction of the same type as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. Tapes 21 secured by lines of stitching 28 to the body of the coat carry interengageable teeth 29 adapted to be cammed into interlocking engagement by a slide member 30, the latter'carrying a chain or other handle 3! arranged exteriorly of the body of the coat and under the flap portion 31 of the patch. Here again the teeth of the zipper are preferably exteriorly protected by small cloth flaps 32 and to prevent the teeth from being exposed at the inside of the coat as well as to prevent them from pinching or tearing the clothing under the coat, a special protective flap 33 is sewed at both ends and along one side by lines of stitching 34 to the inner surface of the coat.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that with this form of construction no direct communication between the pocket and the inside of the coat is afforded but that the pocket provides a naturally flat flap portion concealing the slit through which access may be had to sack coat pockets or other portions of the garments which are worn under the coat. It will also be observed that the patch pocket at the outside of the coat is entirely conventional in appearance and the presence of the zipper closed slot would not ordinarily be suspected.

In neither form of the invention do I alter the normal outside appearance of the coat, and the coats likewise appear of standard construction when Viewed from the inside except for the small and more or less decorative flaps which conceal the metallic teeth of the slide fastener.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an article in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which article in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing fromthe scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows: 4

1. Asv a new article of manufacture, a coat having an open topped pocket and a slit in the coat providing access through the coat without opening the latter, a metallic seam comprising sets of interengaging teeth disposed at opposite sides of the slit and a slide member for engaging or disengaging the teeth,.said slit being arranged within. and concealed by the pocket of the coat.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a coat having a pocket and a slit in the coat concealed by said pocket and providing access through the coat without opening the latter, a metallic seam comprising sets of'interengaging teeth disposed at opposite sides of the slit and a slide member for engaging or disengaging the teeth said closable slit being disposed Within the pocket of the coat and extending downwardly and rearwardly diagonally of the pocket, whereby it prevents sagging of the fabric of the coat when the slit is open.

3. A coat, jacket or the like having a patch pocket at the exterior thereof, a diagonalslit ar- 7 ranged in the coat and concealed by the pocket, a metallic slide fastener for closing the slit having the handle portion of its slide element arranged in the pocket and meanssecured to the inside of the coat for preventing contact between the slide fastener and the garment beneath the coat.

4. A coat, jacket or the like having a patch pocket at the exterior thereof, a diagonal s1it arranged in the coat and concealed by the pocket, a metallic slide fastener for closing the slit having the handle portion of its slide element arranged in the pocket and means secured to the inside of the coat for preventing contact between the slide fastener and the garment beneath the coat, said diagonal slit extending from a point near the upper forward corner of the pocket to a point above the rear lower corner thereof.

5. As a new article of manufacture a coat having a pocket and a slit in that portion of the coat which constitutes the inner wall of the pocket, the outer wall of the pocket concealing said slit and providing access through the coat without opening the coat, and separable fastener means accessible for manual manipulation from the inside of the pocket for opening or closing said slit.

6. As a new article of manufacture a coat having a pocket and a slit in that portion of the coat which constitutes the inner wall of the pocket, the outer wall of the pocket concealing said slit and providing access through the coat without opening the coat, and separable fastener means accessible for manual manipulation from the inside of the pocket by opening or closing said slit, said separable fastener means comprising sets of interengaging teeth disposed at opposite edges of the slit and a slide member disposed within the pocket for effecting engagement or disengagement of the teeth.

7. As a new article of manufacture a coat having a pocket and a slit in the coat concealed by said pocket and providing access. through the coat without opening the latter, a metallic slide fastener for closing the slit including an operating device disposed within the pocket, a fabric flap secured at both ends and along one edge to the inner surface of the coat over the slide fastener. in such a fashion that it is not free to fold into the slit when the latter is open and protects the clothing under the coat from being pinched by the slide fastener when the latter is being closed.

8. As a new article of manufacture a coat having a patch pocket, a slit in the coat concealed by the patch, a slide fastener also concealed by the patch for opening or closing the slit.

9.,As a new article of manufacture a coat having a patch pocket, a slit in the coat concealed by the patch, a slide fastener also concealed by the patch for opening or closing the slit, and a protective strip sewed on the inner face of the coat in such a fashion that it does not tend to fold inwardly into the slit when the slit is open and prevents undergarments from being pinched by the slide fastener when the latter is being closed.

10. A coat, a pocket forming patch secured to the exterior thereof, one edge portion of said patch being separated from the pocket proper by a line of stitching and affording a flap cooperating with the coat to define a concealed recess at one edge of the pocket said coat having a slit therein concealed by said flap and a metallic slide fastener for closing the slit.

11. A coat, a pocket forming patch secured to the exterior thereof, one edge portion of said patch being separated from the pocket proper by a line of stitching and affording a flap cooperating with the coat to define a concealed recess at one edge of the pocket said coat having a slit therein concealed by said flap and a metallic slide fastener for closing the slit said patch presenting the conventional external appearance of a patch pocket and said flap being arranged at the rear edge of the pocket.

12. A coat, a pocket forming patch secured to the exterior thereof, one edge portion of said patch being separated from the pocket proper by a line of stitching and affording a flap cooperating with the coat to define a concealed recess at one edge of the pocket said coat having a slit therein concealed by said flap and a metallic slide fastener for closing the slit, a flap secured to the inside of the coat and concealing the slide fastener and preventing contact therewith of garments under the coat.

JOSEPH SIEGEL. 

